India Car News

New BMW i8 Facelift To Debut at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show

Date: August 28, 2017 4:48 PM

The German auto major, BMW will introduce the updated version of its plug-in hybrid roadster – i8 – at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Motor Show is scheduled to happen in coming December. The 2018 BMW i8 coupe model will also share the floor with the convertible version of the car.

BMW teased the hybrid i8 convertible at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2016. The company will launch the soft top i8 in the North American market sometime next year. Reports suggest that the production version of the 2018 BMW i8 roadster will stay close to its concept.

The 2018 BMW i8 facelift will receive a more powerful engine and a revised battery pack along with minor cosmetic upgrades. The hybrid convertible version of the car will feature an electrically foldable roof. It will see a new headlamp cluster along with subtle design updates. BMW might also use the carbon fiber wheels for the car.

If media reports are to be believed, the new 2018 BMW i8 facelift will see minor chassis updates including mounting points for lower ground clearance and revised upper wishbones. Inside, the 2018 BMW i8 might feature a gesture-controlled infotainment system as seen on the 7-Series.

The new 2018 BMW i8 roadster might also get the wireless charging technology developed by Qualcomm. The iDrive system could be revised with features such as Gesture Control feature from the 7er/5er.

Major change will be made under the skin. At the heart of the 2018 BMW i8 roadster will be the same 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder engine coupled to a compact electric motor. This powerplant will deliver a maximum power of 400bhp.

For every 100km, the electric battery consumes 15.4kWh of energy. For the record, BMW claims that the new 2018 i8 can do 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds. Though, there will be a drop with the revised engine. The current model marks 0-60mph sprint in 4.4 seconds.

Rumour also has it that the German carmaker will replace the i8’s 7.1 kWh battery pack with the bigger 10.0 kWh unit. The larger battery pack is, currently, being tested for the BMW i8 Formula E safety car. It will significantly improve the all-electric range of the car.